The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said despite the outcry that greeted the shutdown of telecommunication services in Zamfara State, the result has justified the government’s action.
The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) had in a leaked memo to telecommunication companies instructed them to shut down their services in the state over the rising insecurity, resulting from bandits ‘activities.
The memo signed by the Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Umar Danbatta, said the action was to enable security agencies to carry out required activities towards addressing the security challenges in the state.
The shutdown began from September 3 and is expected to end September 17.
Some Nigerians, however, criticised the move, saying the measures might not bring the desired result.
But in an interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen., Benjamin Sawyerr, said the suspension of GSM service had helped to block the leakage of information to the bandits.
Our correspondent had requested to know how the shutdown had been helping the military.
He said, “The operation is still ongoing. We can’t say anything for now. Now that we are seeing the result, let us await the completion of the operation.
“Unlike what we used to have when they say troops should go and carry out operations, before they move out of their barracks, everybody is aware and those they are to go after will go and lay ambush for them.
“There was an outcry when telecommunication service was shut down but now, Nigerians can see the result it has brought.”
On Wednesday, the Commissioner of Information in Zamfara State, Ibrahim Dosara, had said some camps of the bandits had been identified and destroyed and that the Nigerian Army also neutralised those who managed to escape the air raids through footpaths.
He also said Governor Bello Matawalle was monitoring the successes recorded by the Nigerian Army and called on people of the state to remain calm, law-abiding, and go about their normal businesses peacefully.
Meanwhile, bandits who managed to escape air and ground raids by the Nigerian military across forests in Zamfara State are now relocating and wreaking havoc in villages bordering Zamfara and Sokoto states.
Sources informed one of our correspondents that the fleeing bandits had killed no fewer than 20 persons in Sokoto State in the last few days. – Punch.
